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Amaya Shotaro
Empress Amaya Shotaro is a female human originating from the Eastern Kingdom, and is the current ruler of the Shijonian dynasty. She is the daughter of former Empress Tima Shotaro, and her reign saw the end of the devastating ‘fish famine’. Biography Early Life Amaya Shotaro is the second eldest daughter of Empress Tima Shotaro and Emperor Chan Zen-Shotaro. Her early life was similar to that of any other daughter of an Eastern Empress; marked with constant studying of politics and diplomacy, combat training under the tutelage of the Generals and the strict learning of Eastern customs and traditions. Amaya, unlike her older sister Yang, was heavily involved and dedicated to her rigid upbringing and was often considered by the Generals and handmaidens to be a far more successful future Empress than the actual heir. Throughout their childhood, Amaya and Yang’s interests conflicted with one another as Amaya’s desire to become her mother’s heir was in opposition to that of Yang’s: the desperate longing to live an adventurous and free life. Due to tradition, Yang would not be able to refuse coronation should her mother die - and if she were to run away from her responsibilities, the Kingdom would be left without a ruler. The Adventures of Yang The night sky had always been Yang Shotaro’s guardian; its shadows casted over her as she escaped the palace each night to gaze at the Star of Shia. Tonight was no different. It had become a game to her, like mastering chess: each guard patrolling the royal palace was a pawn, moving with predictability, and she was the queen slipping past them all with laughable ease. The palace was far behind her now, and its elegant pointed roof could barely be seen in the distance. Yang thought of the people inside: her mother, her father, her brothers… her sister, Amaya. For a few seconds, she mulled on how she pitied them. They could not witness the fresh air and the gorgeous viridescent star of their ancestor like she did, with complete freedom. With no worries or cares about her responsibilities. Imagine if she were merely some rich Easterner’s daughter! The things she could do! The things she could see! The people she could meet! But no, instead she was born under the kiss of Shia. She was a trophy of Trepheon politics, and soon enough the last bit of autonomy she had left would be stripped away, and replaced with an encrusted crown. Yang looked out solemnly towards the distant kingdom of Centralia, and even further, the unstoppable fist of the West. No. She would not be controlled. She would not be forced to marry an Eastern pervert. She would not be forced to sit on a throne, all day, every day, to solve the insignificant plights of farmers and traders, and to sacrifice the very part of herself which made her who she was. She would not be Yang Shotaro, heir to the throne. She would not be Empress. Yang would be herself. The impulse of Yang Shotaro meant that she was never destined to stay in the Eastern Kingdom for much longer than she absolutely had to. Alas, it was her teenage years which saw her flee the palace and leave her old life behind, becoming an adventurer as she had always dreamed of doing. Intel often made its way back to the East, detailing sightings of a pretty black haired Easterner roaming Trepheon doing jobs for nobles and treasure hunters. A common client of Yang was the elven electromancer Aeron Varen and his apprentice Kyra Memphsi, who hired her as their personal protection as they delved into ancient dungeons and temples to retrieve magical artifacts. Yang was never a rich woman during these times, however she made a decent living and most importantly she had a far more enjoyable life than she would have had as a royal. The Worries of Amaya Panic was not an emotion often shown within the royal palace, and although they did their best to hide this weakness, Amaya Shotaro saw straight through her mother and her Generals. The heir was gone, and with her the security of the Eastern Kingdom. '' ''The people had already been weakened by the famine and the loss of the empire, but now, the heir to the throne abandons her duty without warning? Amaya found it sickening. Her sister owed it to the citizens of the East to rule them justly and to resurrect the kingdom from the cesspool it had fallen into. Amaya’s mother had been ill for months now, and there was no telling when she would pass into the underwinds. If she were to die before Yang was found, or at least confirmed dead, the East would be without a leader… and any hope of restoration would be crushed. Yang’s disappearance had a deep effect on Amaya; the two sisters had always been close, despite their resentment at perceiving each other to have been born in the wrong order. Because of this, it was Amaya who led the search for her sibling alongside Empress Tima’s General of Lieren. Their search was long and tiring, lasting two years before both Amaya and the General were called back to the East; Empress Tima’s illness had become severe, and she was confined to her bed. Despite the tireless work of many of the East’s best healers and herbomancers, Empress Tima passed away… with her heir not present. With little time to mourn, Amaya dedicated herself to continuing the search, as she knew it would be disastrous for the kingdom to go without a leader. Forced to continue her search without the General’s help - as the three Generals’ duty was to rule the East in the absence of a true ruler - Amaya enlisted the help of a small group of Lieren Cadre to help search for her sister. The Fate of Two Sisters Yang was eventually sighted by an Eastern agent, who reported that she had taken a job from the elven scholar Maera Birch to scout an ancient Dormian ruin. Going alone, Amaya discovered her sister deep inside the ruins: two sisters, reunited after years apart. Amaya desperately pleaded with her sister to return to the East and take their mother’s place, but Yang had already made her decision; she wanted to live life by her own rules, and without the responsibility of an entire nation on her back. After much arguing, the two stubborn sisters realised that this tale could only end in one way… death, be it Amaya’s or Yang’s. The siblings fought - Amaya’s speed and efficiency a contrast to the brutal fighting style Yang had adopted from her time as a mercenary. Nevertheless, Amaya’s rigorous training bested Yang’s own improvised style, and with tears in her eyes, Amaya plunged her sword through Yang’s heart. The heir to the Eastern throne died in Amaya’s arms, and both of their fates were sealed. Amaya returned with Yang’s body, and after her sister’s funeral she was coronated as Empress of the East as succession traditions dictated. Amaya’s first command was to erect a statue of Yang on the hill outside the palace, and she pledged that she would uphold her sister’s rebellious, fighting spirit. Fighting the Famine Amaya had become Empress at a volatile time. The East was crumbling around her; her people were starving and in short numbers, and raids from the bandit group ‘Sons of Stormborn’, which had gone unchecked by her mother, were slowly picking away at the remaining military forces, and the East’s attempts at farming. In order to combat the famine, Amaya introduced a policy to increase the production of her farms: slavery. Amaya believed that simply executing criminals and raiders, or leaving them to rot in cells, was a waste of manpower which could be easily exploited. Murderers, rapists and bandits were forced to work on the farms, and lesser criminals were made to serve out their sentences through physical labour rather than in jail. This partly solved the East’s issue of a small population, leading to lack of manpower. However, there was still a bigger issue: the relentless raids of the Stormborns, led by the ruthless Irah Storm. Irah Storm was a bastard, as the surname ‘Storm’ is indicative of. The lack of rights the East had afforded to stormborns in the past had angered him, and many other bastards, and so they broke away from the East to form their own tribe. Fighting the Stormborn Amaya plotted a surprise raid on the Stormborn’s camp, sending the bulk of her army as a huge display of strength. As the chaos of battle ensued, Amaya confronted Irah, and engaged in combat with him. Although skilled, Amaya was ultimately outmatched by the older and therefore more experienced Irah. After a tiring battle, Irah managed to disarm Amaya, and if not for an arrow from a brave soldier piercing the man’s leg, he most certainly would have killed her. Despite her loss, the battle had been won as Irah and the rest of his men fled. Having been informed that the arrow which injured Irah had been laced with the paralysis poison Shia’s Kiss, Amaya sent an emissary challenging Irah to a one-on-one duel. Amaya correctly calculated that if Irah had declined the duel, it would be a display of weakness, and if he accepted, he would be defeated due to his injury and the lasting effects of Shia’s Kiss. The two met for the duel, and Amaya focused heavily on the Stormborn’s legs to weaken him further. As she had predicted, Irah was defeated, and as her blade rested on his neck she decided to spare him and his men on the condition they rejoin the East and help rebuild their great kingdom. In return, rights for Stormborns would be ensured; they would be allowed to rise ranks in the army, and own property. To demonstrate this, Amaya offered Irah the position of Ejiki General for his remarkable tactics and ability in combat. Wife, Mother, Warrior, Leader Amaya’s husband, Asai, sadly passed away, leaving Amaya with 6 children - 3 girls, 3 boys. Despite childbirth (having had her first child at 15), Amaya remains healthy and in good shape thanks to being surrounded by healers and good nutrition. Whilst her mother’s reputation as Empress was largely negative, Amaya successfully aimed to make a name for herself as a strong yet compassionate leader. Currently, as the East’s economy has finally recovered, she plans to reconnect with some of the lost colonies and once again show that the Eastern Kingdom is a great power of Trepheon. Personality and Traits Amaya is a stern and strict woman, who has a strong sense of Eastern patriotism. She is known for putting Easterners first and foremost - introducing laws such as only Eastern civilians being allowed to carry weapons inside the castletown. Having learnt about politics and diplomacy at a very young age, Amaya has developed her own skills and techniques. In meetings, Amaya will often put on the facade of a slightly naive and generous ruler who is easy to speak to and, perhaps, manipulate. This technique allows her to identify those who aim to take advantage of the East, and one can be certain that behind closed curtains this is far from her actual personality. In truth, Amaya has been known to be particularly brutal and ruthless when the situation calls for it. An excellent modern example is her sentencing of Hajolati warriors to be pulled apart limb from limb by their own horses. This side of Amaya is generally only seen once her initial patience and compassion has been tested; her forgiveness of the rebel Stormborns a notable exception to her occasional brutality. Amaya’s political ruthlessness is also evident to her most trusted advisors. One of the Empress’ plans in particular involved impregnating her daughter with another Easterner, before marrying her off to the Central King. The child would have been believed to be the King’s, and as he grew up would have taken over Central for the benefit of the East. This plan was never executed, however, but it is an excellent example of the lengths Empress Amaya is willing to go to for the good of her people. Ultimately, though, Amaya holds an undying love for the East, and always sees the means as justifying the ends if it results in strengthening her people. Amaya is a very capable swordswoman, having trained extensively throughout childhood. Her skill was enough to allow her to hold her own for a decent amount of time against the feared Irah Stormborn, although she did lose this battle. Despite her skill with a weapon and her natural ability to inspire loyalty and pride in her subjects, Amaya is notable for her lack of knowledge in actual military strategy and tactics. Fortunately, her experienced Generals mostly take care of this, but her gap in knowledge is very noticeable during military discussions.